


Falling Stars

by dramatic owl (snarky_panda)



Category: Hey Arnold!
Genre: Gen, Prequel, Sister-Sister Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-22 15:08:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22717969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarky_panda/pseuds/dramatic%20owl
Summary: Olga enjoys a little bit of time alone with her baby sister during the family vacation.
Kudos: 11
Collections: Half a Moon: 14 Days of Celebrating Women, Ladies Bingo 2019





	Falling Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the ladiesbingo challenge for the prompt: someone or something falls and also fills the halfamoon prompt: dust.

The Patakis weren't the only family to have discovered that Sunset Beach was glorious during the summer months, so the beach was packed during their annual August vacation. Olga looked after the family's needs as usual and ventured out just before sunrise every day to stake a claim on a beach-blanket-size square of sand for them before there was no space left.

She didn't really mind getting up so early. The beach was peaceful at that time and she could pick out a prime spot to set up their blanket and beach umbrella. There would be no end to Daddy's complaints if they didn't have a good spot on the beach, even though he spent most of the day water skiing or swimming and very little time with them on the blanket, and he would just generally be in a bad mood. She wanted everyone to be happy and she could always lie down under the umbrella and get more sleep if she wanted. But she'd always been a morning person and more often than not she sat up and watched the sunrise, munching on the breakfast she'd prepared and brought with her. Once the sun was up and there was enough light she lounged on the blanket and read until Mama came down with her baby sister Helga – and thermoses of coffee for them if she remembered. If not, Olga went back up to the beach house to make the coffee and prepare the thermoses. This was the year she'd turned thirteen and her parents had agreed that she was old enough to drink coffee with them now.

This was also the year that Olga's science class had covered astronomy in-depth. Fascinated by everything she'd learned during the second half of the school year, she snuck out of the beach house after it got dark everyday to see the night sky covered with stars — there were no lights here to obscure the view like in the city — and discovered that Sunset Beach was as empty at night as it was crowded during the day.

"The Perseids will be at their peak tonight," she announced over dinner on their fourth night of vacation, and explained everything she'd learned about the annual August meteor shower.

"What's a – me– a me—" her three-year-old sister struggled with the word.

"Me-te-or," Olga repeated slowly and clearly for her. "Me-te-or shower."

She gave Helga a chance to repeat it back and grasp the word.

"It's also called a falling star. Or a shooting star."

"I always said Olga was smart as a whip at whatever subject she tries."

Olga beamed. The pride in her father's voice when he said it warmed her inside. But Helga's little face had a troubled expression. Later, when she was putting her to bed, Olga discovered what was bothering her.

"They're not really falling stars," she explained soothingly. "They're not stars at all, actually. They're just called that because that's what they look like. But they're very pretty."

"Can I see them?"

"Maybe tomorrow, early in the night. It's late now and time to sleep." Olga smoothed Helga's hair. "Do you want me to read to you a little first?"

She nodded, and Olga tucked her in, picked up the Agatha Caulfield book that they hadn't finished yet, and began to read from where they'd left off.

//

After midnight was the best time to watch the meteor shower so Olga had set her alarm for eleven-thirty to make sure she'd be up and ready to sneak out before then. Sitting up she gasped at the sight of her baby sister awake, out of bed, and standing by the window.

"What are you doing up, Baby Sis?"

In her surprise she barely managed to keep her voice at just above a whisper.

"I want to see the falling stars too."

"Shhh."

Olga slipped out of bed, wondering now if Helga had been awake every night and knew she'd been sneaking out. Helga was little but smart. She pulled a sweatshirt on over her night tee and sweatpants, then went to get Helga's jacket from the closet.

"Here." She put the jacket on over Helga's pajamas. Helga looked at her curiously and Olga put her finger to her lips. "Daddy and Mama can't know we're going outside this late. This will be our secret."

Helga's face lit up and Olga took her by the hand and quietly led her outside and down to the empty beach.

"There," she pointed and smiled at her baby sister's 'oooh'.

Olga sat down in the sand and pulled Helga onto her lap. For a long time, they remained there and quietly watched the brilliant streaks of light in the sky.

"They're not really stars?" Helga broke the silence.

"Nope. See how all the stars are still up there shining?"

She didn't think that a three-year-old would care about bits of dust in the sky and she didn't want to use too many complicated terms, but she could sense that Helga was waiting for an explanation. Besides, her sister wasn't an ordinary three-year-old.

"When you get a little older and you're taking science class in school too you'll learn more about this. What you're seeing is actually just tiny bits of dust and rock that get hot in the sky and burn up. You're seeing the fire from when they burn up."

"Oh."

Olga laughed affectionately at Helga's sage nod.

"Can the fire hurt us?" she asked after a pause.

"No. It burns out long before it hits the ground."

When Olga finally decided it was time to go back inside Helga complained that she was too tired to walk. Olga suspected her sister just wanted to be picked up.

"Want me to carry you?"

She nodded and rubbed her eyes.

Olga lifted her up over her shoulder and started back toward the house. "Wow, you're getting big. Good thing it's a short walk. Pretty soon I won't be able to carry you at all."

Helga giggled despite her crankiness and Olga laughed with her.

Back in their shared room Olga tucked her into bed again.

"It's our secret," Helga whispered.

"Ours alone," she whispered back. "Goodnight, Baby Sis."


End file.
